United States. A M1917 Bolo, By The American Cutlery Company

This bolo features a 255 mm long high carbon steel blade, magnetic, with a very sharp edge and a very sharp tip, along with a wide spine and is beveled along both edges. It is marked "U.S. / MOD. 1917 / C.T" (Model 1917; Inspector "C T") on the obverse ricasso, the reverse ricasso maker marked "A.C. CO / CHICAGO /1918" (American Cutlery Company of Chicago, Illinois), measuring 257 mm in length. The blade is embedded into the heavy steel crossguard that is designed with rounded ends forming the quillons, with dark brown finished wooden plates with multiple ribbing embedded onto either side of the steel based handle to form the grip and are held in place by a two large screws, marked with the flaming bomb insignia on the extension of the spine that forms the handle between the wooden plates, the pommel designed with a flared end, the bolo measuring 380 mm in length. The blade exhibits patches of surface wear from active use, with contact marks and surface wear present on both the crossguard and pommel, along with a few nicks in the two wooden plates of the grip. Fine.

Footnote: The United States military used the same basic bolo knife from the turn of the century all the way through to the Second World War. First the bolo was only issued to the Hospital Corps in the fields where the long machete-type weapon was mainly used in jungle-type surroundings to clear brush and for any task requiring a "chopper". The Philippine-American war of 1899-1902 was where American troops began to use this local weapon, and realized its usefulness. In the Philippines, machetes were called bolos, and this name stuck even as the knife went through several changes in its appearance. After the military had less use for such a long weapon, the bolo was considerably shortened. It was then issued to troops needing to clear their field of fire, such as machine gun squads.